The NBC University Theater

The NBC University Theater presents dramatization of significant novels, such as The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, and Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence. The program originated in Chicago from 1944-48, then moved to Hollywood from 1948-1951, where it was increased in length to an hour and also occasionally incorporated short stories into the broadcasts.

The presentations are faithful to the intent of the original stories, though, in most cases, the tales had to be abridged to fit into the time constraints. The show was critically acclaimed and, indeed, several universities coordinated their curricula to take advantage of the presentations. It was a part of a much larger collection of NBC shows over a span of three decades that had the word "university" in their titles.

As a side note, though I have read a number of Charles Dickens's short stories, I have tried to read the Pickwick Papers several times and have never been able to wade all the way through it. But I quite enjoyed the radio episode in this collection.

For more information, see Wikipedia.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.